WO1998041288A2

WO1998041288A2 - Device for restraining a golfer's feet

Info

Publication number: WO1998041288A2
Application number: PCT/US1998/005369
Authority: WO
Inventors: Earnest A. Byner
Original assignee: Byner Earnest A
Priority date: 1997-03-19
Filing date: 1998-03-18
Publication date: 1998-09-24
Also published as: AU6567598A

Abstract

A device for restraining a golfer's feet to maintain proper balance and alignement is disclosed which keeps the golfer from reverse pivoting and/or swaying over the back foot (left or right) during a golf swing by keeping the back foot in place and causing the back knee and hip to maintain proper position during the golf swing. The device has a table upon which restraints are positionned. These restraints receive the golfer's feet to restrain the golfer's feet during the golf swing. The restrains are laterally translatable to accept golfers to various stance widths, as well as being rotatable to allow a golfer to keep either the left foot square or turned out slightly, or, for example, to turn the right foot or the left foot out more.

Description

DEVICE FOR RESTRAINING A GOLFER'S FEET

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for assisting in training a golfer a proper golf swing, and more particularly to a device for restraining a golfer's feet to maintain proper

balance and alignment during a golf swing and to keep the golfer from reverse pivoting and/or swaying over the back foot (left or right) by keeping the back foot in place and

causing the back knee and hip to maintain proper position during the golf swing.

Golf has become a very popular sport. Unfortunately, swinging a golf club properly is a difficult task requiring coordination of many different body movements. One aspect which must be mastered while learning to swing a golf club is the proper

positioning of the golfer's fee.

Accordingly, it is an objective of this invention to provide a device for assisting a

beginning golfer to more easily learn a proper golf swing. Another objective of this invention is to assist a golfer to learn or improve the golfer's golf swing by restraining the golfers feet in appropriate positions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This and other objectives are met by providing a device for restraining a golfer's

feet during a golf swing. The device includes a table and a plurality of restraints, each of

which is adapted and constructed to receive a foot of a golfer using the device.

Additionally, each of the restraints is rotatable to enable* the golfer to adjust the angle of

the restraint to a comfortable position. Likewise, at least one of the restraints is

translatable relative to the other restraint to accept golfers of various stance widths. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described more

specifically with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is plan view of a first embodiment of the device for restraining a golfer's

feet of this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the device for restraining a golfer's feet of this invention; and

Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As used herein, "right foot" will refer to the right foot of a right-handed golfer, and should be interpreted to mean the "back foot" of a right-handed golfer. Likewise, the term "left foot" as used herein will refer to the left foot of a right-handed golfer, and

should be interpreted to mean the "front foot" of a right-handed golfer. This convention

is adopted solely for reasons of convenience and is not intended to limit the scope of applicability of this disclosure. Thus, it should be understood that when applied to a

left-handed golfer, the back foot is the left foot and the front foot is the right foot.

Accordingly, appropriate modifications well within the ability of a person of ordinary skill in the art may be necessary to adapt the disclosed device for use by a left-handed

golfer.

As shown in Fig. 1, the device 10 has a table 12 upon which restraints 14 are

positioned to receive the golfer's feet. At least one and preferably both of the restraints 14 are laterally translatable to accept golfers of various stance widths, as well as being rotatable to allow a golfer to either keep the left foot square or turned out slightly, or,

for example, to turn the right foot or the left foot out more.

The restraints 14 may be made of a resilient material such as a sturdy foam which

will give a little bit during execution of the golfer's swing, but should be capable of

maintaining their shape upon repeated use. Alternatively, the restraints 14 may be

formed of a synthetic material such as a hard plastic or a metal such as aluminum. If desired, the restraints 14 may be covered by a textured material such as artificial turf.

The restraints 14 may be a brace against which the golfer's foot braces, in which

instance the golfer will be supported directly by the table 12, or may be a built-up area

which elevates and supports the golfer's foot. The profile of the restraint 14 may be wedge-shaped such that the upper surface of the restraint 14 is set at a relatively small angle to the base of the wedge-shaped restraint 14. The angle between the base and the top surface of the restraint 14 for the front foot is currently envisioned to be in the

neighborhood of 2° or 3 ° and the angle between the base and the top surface of the

restraint 14 for the back foot is currently envisioned to be between 0 and 30° or 33°.

A rim 16 may extend from the top surface of the restraint 14 to keep the golfer's

foot from sliding off the restraint 14. The rim 16 may be integral with the restraint 14 or

may be a separate piece of material joined to the restraint 14. If desired, the rim 16 may

be omitted from the front or the back restraint, (see Fig. 3).

The restraints 14 may be generally rectangular in shape as shown in Figs. 1 and

2, or may be contoured to closely approximate the shape of a golfer's foot.

Alternatively, the restraints 14 can be formed such that the table 12 supports the weight

of the golfer's foot, in which instance the restraint 14 serves to laterally restrain the golfer's foot instead of both restraining the golfer's foot and supporting the weight of the golfer.

The table 12 may be made of a synthetic material such as a hard plastic or a

metal such as aluminum, and may be formed of a single piece of material (Fig. 1) or

from multiple pieces of material. The table 12 may be formed from one or more rods 18 which extend between and through apertures in the restraints 14 (Figs. 2 and 3) or may

be a flat platform upon which the restraints 14 rest (Fig. 1). If the table 12 is formed as

a flat platform, grooves 20 are preferably formed in a top surface of the table 12 to

enable translational and rotational movement of the restraints 14 relative to the table 12.

In use, a golfer will adjust the restraints 14 on the table 12 to appropriate positions given the peculiarities of his/her preferred stance, and fix the restraints 14 in place using suitable hardware 22 to prevent the restraints 14 from undergoing further lateral and/or rotational movement. The golfer will then stand on or next to the

restraints 14 and swing the club ~ the rims 16 on the edges of the restraints 14 will prevent the golfer's feet from slipping off of the restraints 14. Because the golfer's feet

are immobilized by the restraints 14, the golfer's knees and/or hips, as well as the

golfer's feet, will be prevented from undergoing movement detrimental to the golfer's

swing. Thus, the golfer will be able to improve his golf swing.

An alternative to using a table 12 or rods 18 to maintain the restraints 14 in

position may include spikes to position the restraints 14 in the ground. Additionally, the

pitch or angle of the top surface relative to the bottom surface of the restraints may be

adjustable to enable the golfer to customize the device in a manner which is more comfortable to that particular golfer and to optimize the beneficial effects on the golfer's

swing.

It is understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of

this invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended

hereto be limited to the description as set forth herein, but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty that reside in the

present invention, including all features that would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art which this invention pertains.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A device for restraining a golfer's feet, comprising:

a table; a plurality of restraints disposed on said table, each of said restraints being adapted and constructed to restrain movement of a foot of a golfer using the device,

each of said restraints being rotatable and at least one of said restraints being translatable

relative to the other restraint.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said table comprises a plurality of bars

spanning between said restraints.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said table comprises a flat surface at least partially supporting said restraints.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said restraints is wedge-shaped and has an upper surface for receiving and supporting the golfers foot, said upper

surface being disposed relative to a bottom surface of said restraint such that said upper

surface of said restraint is set at a relatively small angle to said bottom surface of said

restraint.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said relatively small angle is between 2┬░ and

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said relatively small angle is between 1 ┬░ and

33┬░.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a rim disposed at least along one

edge of one of said restraints.

8. A device for restraining a golfer's feet to maintain proper balance and

alignment during a golf swing and to keep the golfer from reverse pivoting and swaying

over the back foot by keeping the back foot in place and causing the back knee and hip to maintain proper position during the golf swing, comprising:

a table, said table having a front position and a back position; a front wedge-shaped restraint disposed on said table in said front position, said front wedge-shaped restraint having an upper surface for receiving and supporting one

of the golfer's feet, said upper surface being set at a first angle to a bottom surface of said front wedge-shaped restraint, said first angle being in a range between about 1 ┬░ and

3┬░; a front rim disposed at least along a front edge of said first wedge-shaped

restraint; a back wedge-shaped restraint disposed on said table in said back position, said

back wedge-shaped restraint having an upper surface for receiving and supporting one

of the golfer's feet, said upper surface being at a second angle to a bottom surface of said back wedge-shaped restraint, said second angle being in a range between about 1 ┬░

and 33 ┬░; and a back rim disposed at least along a back edge of said back wedge-shaped

restraint.